Humidifier.



c. SUBERT.

HUMIDIFIER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 19, 1915.

1 172,642. Patented Feb. 22,1916.

COLUMBIA PumuGRAPM :0. WASHINGTON D c UNITED STATES PATENT curios.

" '7 CHARLES stream, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, Assmnon TO SANIFACIENT HUMIDOR COMPANY, A CORPORATION or ILLINoIs,

EUMID FIEB.

n Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 19, 1915. Serial No. 22,362.

citizen of the United States, residing at' Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements. in Humidifiers, of which the following is adescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which corresponding numerals of reference in the difierent figures indicate like parts.

In the use of humidifiers for inoistening cigars in'show-cases, it is essential that the humidity be developed gradually and'slowly and maintained substantially, at a given standard. While slight variations may be permitted, practice-has demonstrated that outside of certain predetei inined limits, too much or too, rapid a generation of moisture will injure if not destroy the goods. I have found in practice that a humidifier in which air is blown against a moistened surface, if kept in operation continuously, will cause the articles intended to be moistened to become wet to such a degree as to be spoiled. The method heretofore employed to prevent this result has been from time to time, to shut off the air current, which 'method has been entirely unsatisfactory for the reasons stated as well as frequent neglect.

The object of my invention is to overcome this dili'iculty by providing automatic f means for so regulating the action of an electric motor adapted to actuate a-fan, that the desired degree of humidity may be maintained. v I

To thls end my lnventlon consists 1I1'tl16 combination of elements hereinafter more particularly described and definitely pointed out in the claims.

Inthe drawings, Figure 1, is a front elevation of a humidifierembodying the features of my inventlon, F 1g, 2, 1s anend view thereof, Fig. 3,-is an enlarged rear viewis open at thetop midway between theends' for the admission of air thereto, while openings 2, are provided in the walls for its escape. Therear wall 3, is extended above the surface of the front and end walls of the receptacle and serves as support for an @1901 Patented Feb.'22, 1916. f

trio motor a, having a vertical shaft 5, to the lower-end of which is attached a fan 6, Fig. 1. A shield 7, aids in directing the .air downwardly into the receptacle when the fanis iii-operation. A float 8, is located within the receptacle, said float being prof vided with an absorbent material 9, a 1301 lZlOllOf wh1cl1 1s in contact with the water;

whilethe remainder is-supported above it upon a suitable frame 10, so as to be acted upon by the air from the fan. The motor is constructed and wound 111 a well known way, the terminals thereof be? ing connected with fa source of-electricity 1n the manner andforythe purpose herein-1 after set forth, it. being understood that so much of-the construction as h been described has been heretofore disclosed in a patent issued tome. y

In order to obtain satisfactory results a. hygrometer is usually employed in conjunction with a humidifier, and it is desira ble to so regulate the operation of the humidifier as to maintain uniformity of moisture. In order to accomplishithis result I provide the following described automatic means for regulating the action of the m0 -.tor, so as tohave its speedslackened or cause it to start and .sto pat predetermined intervals, for the, purpose of reducing the air circulation. Line wires 11, 11 and 12 are adapted to be connected with a source of electric energy. not shown, the former leadingfto, and the latter from the motor" winding in the usual rway. Rigidly at tached to'th'e back 'ofthe casingis an insulating block 18, preferably of porcelain,

upon which is mounted'metal plates 14 and- 15, secured by posts 16 and 17, and nuts 18 and 19, respectively. A-bentmetallic plate; 20, formed from composite metals, such, for example, as copperand tin having different coseflicients of expansion, has its ends rig as already idly attachedto the posts 16 and 17, so that any expansion or contraction thereof'causedby variations of temperature, will cause the m ddle portlon to bend more orless so. as

to bemoved to and from the block 13. -2A -metallic clip or bracketQl, is-rigidly at tached to the block 13, substantially mid-'- way between the ends of the bar 20,; said clip being provided with abinding post 22, '9

.ing post-22, the continuation of said wire forming a winding 25, of high resistance,

around the bar 20, the terminal :26, being carrled upwardly into metallic connection at 27 with the bar 20. I have indicated the part 26 of said wire diagrammatically for the purposes of greater clearness in tracing the circuit. In order to provide for. a metallic contact between the screw 23 and the bar 20, I have shown at 27, a separation in the winding so as to leave a portion of the metal bar exposed in operative proximity to the contact screw, the wire of the wind- :ing being carried across the gap upon one edge as indicated at 28, Fig. el. The wire 11 leading to the motor has its end in metalliccontact with the binding-postlG.

The operation of the device is as follows: The current passes from the battery or other source through the wire 11, binding post 22, wire 24., resistance-coil 25, terminal 27, bar 20, and wire 11 to the motor, thence back through the return wire 12 to the battery. Owing to the resistance of the coil however, the motoris not actuated, but the high resistance of the coil serves to heat the bar 20, causing it to bend as a result of expansion so as to contact with the screw 13, when the current is immediately shunted directly through the screw and b r 20 to the motor, the nominal resistance of the bar 20 permitting a sufiicient current to pass to actuate the motor as long asthe screw and bar are in contact. Upon. the cooling of the bar, the

contact is broken-and the current is again caused to pass through the resistance coil,

thereby arresting the action of the motor. The alternate periods oi activity and rest of the motor may be varied by adjusting the regulating contact screw 28, which enables the humidifier to be controlled with sufiicient accuracy, so that the requisite degree of humidity may be madntaine indefinitely. ll/ hen the controlling device is once adjusted to given conditions for humidifying-a given space, it will ordinarily require no further adjustment.

A highly important advantage of my improvement is that it enables the humidity in a given space to be developed gradually and slowly so that it may be fully absorbed by cigars as rapidly as it is produced. Should it be raised too quickly itwill cause the cigar wrappers to swell, the injurious efiect of which cannot be counteracted by stopping the air current thereafter. I have found in practice that my improvement enablesthe building up of humidity to be accomplished in exact proportion to the requirements of the material acted upon.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A humidifier comprising, in combination a liquid container, a moisture absorbing element in operative communication there with, a fan, an electricmotor forlactuating-r the same to direct a current of air against said absorbent material, a source of electricity incircuit with said motor, an automatic switch interposed in said circuit for causing an intermittent motor action, and means for varying the relative duration of the intermittent periods.

2. The combination with a humidifier having an electric motor and a fan for directing; a current of air against a moisture collect ing surface,.of an automatic electric switch-1 interposed in the motor circuit,,comprising shunt circuits of high and low resistance re- 85 spectively, a metallic member formed from: composite metals having varying coeiiicients of expansion, saidmember being surrounded by a resistance coil fo'rmingin lieu thereof 1 said shunt circuit of high resistance which .90 is normally closed, and means for closing." a short circuit with said metallic member, comprising said shunt circuit 01"- low 1'6SiSt'-' ancc, when said metallic memberis flexed: by heat.-

3. The combination with a humidifier having an electric motor and fan for directing; a current of air against a moisture 'colle'ctingsurface, of an automatic electric switch interposed in the motor circuit, comprising a normally closed shunt circuit of high resistance,- a metallic member composed ofmetals having varying coeflicients of expansion' adapted to be; heated and expanded or cnannns sooner; Witnesses:

DAVID H. FitnToHnR, JnNNIn-L. Fir'snn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained :forfive cents each, byaddressingflthe' Commissioner-of Patents,

Washington, 20.20. 

